Tea party activist who backed Beavers for governor now planning to run herself

Kay White, a Johnson City real estate agent and tea party activist, had been backing state Sen. Mae Beavers’ run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, but is now preparing to run herself, according to reports in The Nashville Scene and the Johnson City Press.

Both quote White Facebook postings on her past support for Beavers and on her new plans. The latter post reads:

“I am making an official announcement on July 22nd at 5 p.m. at the Jonesborough Courthouse steps followed by a celebration at the ‘Barn’ just off Boones Creek Road on to Old Gray Station Rd. There will be signs! Bring everyone with you. It is time that we have representation for upper East TN. Some people seem to think that East TN. stops in Knoxville! Many blessings, Kay White.”

The Scene has long bloc quotes of White on Facebook and some commentary. The Press is more cryptic (and credits the Scene). Excerpt:

White did not answer a Johnson City Press reporter’s calls on Thursday.

On Wednesday, White told the Nashville Scene, which first reported White’s aspirations to become governor, that Beavers was “great” but that “some people affiliated with her campaign have caused me to doubt her judgment, which concerns me as far as who she’d appoint should she win.”

The social media-savvy Hawkins County native is a vocal proponent of President Donald Trump and served as East Tennessee chairman of his campaign during the 2016 election. White also attended both the 2016 Republican National Convention and Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

… White’s politics were quite different in the 1990s, when she ran as a Democrat for the Tennessee’s 1st District U.S. House seat.

In 1998 and 1996, White lost both general elections to former Republican U.S Rep. Bill Jenkins. She did taste victory during the 1996 Democratic primary, earning 3,276 votes to defeat three other candidates.

The Scene also has this quote from Beavers: “I think it was a big misunderstanding, and that’s all I have to say.”